Knitting machine adapted to shape knitted articles



Oct. 22, 1935. D. STROMBERG 2,018,290

KNITTING MACHINE ADAPTED TO SHAPE KNITTED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct'. 22, 1935. D. STRCSMBERG 2,018,290

KNITTING MACHINE ADA TED T0 SHAPE KNITTED ARTICLES- Filed Feb. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 22, 1935 KNITTING MACHINE ADAPTED TO SHAPE KNITTED ARTIGLES David Stromberg, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application February '19, 1934, Serial No. 711,893

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to knitting machines particularly of that type adapted'for the knitting of tubular articles andits primary object is to provide means for controlling one or 5 a plurality of threads, as, for example, elastic Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. v

yarn, in such manner that a garment may be formed with areas of different widths, tubular garments being knitted with form-fitting areas relatively different as to diameter.

A further object of the invention is to provide yam-controlling means of special form, simple in construction, and having positive control over one or more strands of yarn, as, for example, the elastic inlaid yarn threads of a tubular knitted garment.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in.which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being partly broken away.

Fig. 2 isa view in elevation showing the structure of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of certain operating elements of the yarn controlling mechamsm.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on the line 4-4,

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5-5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6, Fig. 1. 1

. Fig. 7 isa vertical section on the line 1-1, Fig. 1.

' Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a simple type of knitted garment for which ,the machine is adapted.

Referring to the drawings, I have indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, a known type' of tubular knitting machine comprising the annular horizontal frame member I provided with vertical guide annulus la: forming one element of a raceway for the rotating needle frame 2,, at the base of which is a bevelled ring gear 3 in mesh with bevelled pinion 4 on shaft 5. Shaft 5 is joumalled in a bearing boss 6 held by bracket arm 61: depending from member I. Shaft 5 is thus rotated by, ring gear 3 for a purpose hereinafter to be explained.

Inasmuch as the knitting elements form no part of the invention, they are shown diagrammatically and not in detail. It will be understood that they are adapted to form a tubular knitted structure in which all of the threads may be elastic and in which one or more threads may be regarded as transversely extending inlaid threads lying in a spiral end to end of the woven structure. Ordinarily the said inlaid thread is of heavier gauge than the filling and tie threads so that the garment will have a ribbed appearmice, the ribs extending transversely and in reality extending spirally, as above stated. The

present invention has for its primary object control of such inlaid thread or threads.

In the present embodiment, a single inlaid thread a is shown fed from the spool 5. The

inlaid thread a is guided through an eye formed 5 I in bracket arm I, the latter being secured to frame member I, the thread then being led between two conical feed rollers 8, 8.7:, thence through the eye of a guide arm 9 and between two feed rollers l0, Illa: of uniformdiameter, l0

and thence through suitable guiding means such as guide arms II and guide arm I! to the needle frame 2.

In its passage to the conical rollers, the inlaid thread 0 passes through the eyeletted end of 'a 15 swinging arm l3 pivoted at l4 on arm I. Arm I3 is connected by a link IS with a lever l6 pivoted at I! upon arm I. Lever IG-is normally held in abutment with an adjustable stud I82:

by means of a coil spring l9 having one end 20 fixed to bracket arm I and its opposite end connected to swinging arm I3. Adiustable abutment stud I8: is carried by arm "$22 of a rock lever Rock lever I8 is pivoted at 20 upon a bracket 25 2| secured to a vertical frame member ,22 of the machine. support a shaft 23 which-carries a sprocket 24 adapted to operate a chain 25 composed of link sections of different heights relatively to the axis 30 of. lever |8 opposite the roller and held in a 85 seat provided by bracket 2|, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, in the movement of chain 25, links of suc-' cessively greater and less height will engage roller 26 and cause rock arm l8 to be rockedon its pivotal point, motion being transmitted to lever 40 I I6, and thence to swinging arm l3 so as to vary the position of inlaid thread a relativelyto the conical feed rollers, as will be hereinafter explained more in detail.

Shaft 23 may receive rotation by the application thereto of a ratchet wheel 28 engaged by pawl 291.2 of pawl lever 28, the latter being connected to shaft 30 supported in bracket 2|, the shaft having fixed thereto rearward projected arm 29:: carrying a roller 3|. the path of a cam plate 32 carried by depending arm 33 of the rotating needle frame so that in each rotation of the needle frame roller 3| is engaged and the pawl arm swung in reverse positions to impart progressive movements to the chain.

The lowermost roller 8 of the two conical rollers is rotatably supported in a bracket 34 on frame member I, the roller being carried by a shaft 35 having fixed thereto a pinion 36 engag- 60 Bracket 2| also serves to rotatably Roller 3| lies in 7 IS, the lever following the stud under the influence of spring I! and the spring acting up-' on swinging arm l3 to carry inlaid thread a to-' .wardthe ends of the conical rollers having minor ing an overlying pinion 31 on a shaft 33, which supports the uppermost conical roller 32:. Shaft 33 is journalled in slide blocks 39 each free for vertical sliding movement in a raceway formed by upwardly projecting spaced arms '34:: of bracket 34. Connected to arms 34:: at their upper ends is the T-head of a threaded socket member 40 within which is projected a spring 4! bearing upon the appropriate slide block 39, the tension ofthe spring being regulated by an adjusting bolt 42 threaded in the upper end of the socket member. By such means conical-roller 8a: is spring-pressed toward roller 3 and the inlaid thread a between the rollers is firmly gripped. At the same time, the yielding relationship of the rollers permits swinging arm l3 to-move the inlaid thread a from the point of the major diameters of the rollers to the point of minor diameter and vice versa. The lower roller 8 is rotated clockwise and the upper roller 8a: counter-clockwise to feed the warp thread a toward feed rollers lllx, the latter being of equal diameter; The lowermost roller la: is

mounted upon a shaft 43 carried by bracket 44 mounted on frame member I and the uppermost roller I02: is carried by shaft 45 journalled in slide blocks (not shown) of the same construction as the slide blocks 33, Fig. 5, the blocks being.

engaged by springs similar to springs 4 I, and the springs being adjusted by means of adjusting bolts 42.1: operating in the same manner as adjusting bolts 42. Shaft 43 is driven from shaft 5, the lattercarrying a sprocket 46 connected by chain 41 with a sprocket 48 fixed to shaft 43.

Shaft 43 also carries a sprocket 49 connected by chain 56 with a sprocket wheel Fig. 2, carried by shaft 35 of the conical roller assembly. The uppermost roller Illa: is driven in unison with the lower roller by means of the gear connections 52.

1 In the operation of the device, two sets of feed rollers will feed inlaid thread a to the knitting frame at a predetermined rate. The rate of feed of the inlaid thread will be so proportioned to the take up thereof by the needle frame that like. When it is desired that a given section of V the article be of reduced diameter, the links of a section of chain 25 will be reduced in height so as to cause roller 26 to be moved toward the axis of shaft 23, thereby retracting stud l8 from lever diameter. This willreduce the rate of feed of the conical rollers relatively to the rate of feed of the straight rollers I02: and a lesser length ,of elastic inlaid thread per spiral convolution thereof in the article, will result. When, therefore, the article is removed from thev knitting machine, the tension thus placed upon the inlaid thread in the knitting operation will cause that thread in the tension section to reduce the width of the article in proportion to the degree of tension. Thus, by proportioning the movement of 5 swinging arm l3 and hence the rate of feed of rollers 8a: in accordance with the effect desired in the knitted article the latter may, when formed as a garment, Fig. 8, have relatively wide areas such as the central area 0 and areas of. re-- duced width as at r. and the reduction may be gradual relatively to the length of the article, or, it may be a sudden and sharp reduction, as will be understood without further explanation.

The'chains 35 may be of a length proportionateto the effect desired and the links will be placed and formed in accordance with the timing and degree of action required with respect to the swinging arm I3 and the feed rollers. By the arrangement described, knitted articles may be produced of widely varying shaping which is particularly desirable in the production of knitted garments. W

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as fol- 2 lows:

1. In a knitting machine, in combination with a needle frame, of feeding means for advancing an inlaid thread to said needle frame, said feeding means having two sections, one section comprising opposed feed rollers, each of substantial- 1y equal diameter and the second section comprising conical feed rollers with their respective major and minor diameters in mutual registration, means for controlling the action of said sec- 0nd feeding section comprising a thread carrying arm, and automatic means for actuating said arm in accordance with a predetermined pattern comprising a pattern chain and means for moving the same in a vertical path, two levers, one having an arm engaged by said pattern chain and movable in a vertical plane and the second lever mounted for movement in a horizontal plane, an adjustable connection between said levers and a link connecting the horizontal movable lever with the thread carrying arm.

2. In a knitting machine, in combination with a needle frame, of feeding means for advancing an inlaid thread to the needle frame, said feed- Y ing means being adapted to feed thread under 50 different tensions, and comprising feed rollers and supplementary feed rollers, said supplementary feed rollers being conical in formation, a shifting arm for the thread led between said conical feed rollers, a lever for moving said shifting arm, and automatic means for actuating said lever in accordance with a predetermined pattern comprising a pattern chain, means for moving the chain in a vertical path, a second lever having an arm operatively engaging the pattern chain and having a second arm operatively connected with the first lever for moving the first lever in a path substantially at right angles to the path of movement, of said second lever.

3. In a knitting machine, feeding means for tact in engagement.

DAVID S'I'ROMBERG. 

